BERRY, Gordon W. (1846-1932)

BERRY

Posted By: Debbie Alvarado (email)
Date: 7/31/2006 at 11:34:30

Tama Northern
Gladbrook Iowa
Friday March 11,1932
page 1

G.W. Berry Died At Deaconess Hospital Wednesday Noon.
Funeral Will Be Held In Park Hill Church, One P. M. Friday.

Gordon W. Berry, one of the early settlers of Tama County, passed away at the Deaconess Hospital where he was taken two weeks ago for a minor operation. Death relieved him at noon Wednesday and the body was brought to the Goettsch Funeral Home during the afternoon.
The deceased was 85 years, 11 months and 10 days old.
Mr. Berry was born on March 23, 1846 near Waterloo, Quebec, Canada and emigrated to Vermont at the age of 14 years. He came to Tama county in 1869 and lived in the Gladbrook and Garwin neighborhoods the remainder of his life. On Dec 12, 1872, he was united in marriage to Jane Olds and raised a family of three boys and five girls. Mrs. Berry passed away in 1896.
On Oct. 14, 1898 he was married to Miss Hester V. Cummings and she joined earnestly in the task of rearing the children at home. The children living are Charley Berry, Independence; Mrs. Earl Nickerson, Des Moines; Mrs. Newton Webster, Des Moines; Ralph Berry, Hutchinson, Minn; Mrs. Addie Howard, Long Beach, Calif; Mrs. Myrtle Buckles, Boone; Fred Berry, Marengo and Mrs. Floy Wright, Long Beach, Calif. The latter was a baby when the mother died and she was taken into the home of a Mr. Allard. Three boys died in infancy.
The deceased is the last of a family of thirteen children. He witnessed the hardships of pioneer life in Tama County and built the first store in Garwin. After a time he went to "Berlin", now Lincoln, and erected the first store building in that city. He also engaged in the mercantile business in Gladbrook, when things began to boom here in the early day.
Mr. Berry was a genial fellow and will be missed by a large circle of close friends. Besides his wife and children he also leaves twenty-three grandchildren.
Four of his children will be able to attend the funeral which will be held in the Park Hill church, Friday afternoon at one o'clock. They are Mrs. Earl Nickerson, Mrs. Newton Webster, Mrs. Myrtle Buckles and Fred Berry.
The interment will take place in the Crystal Cemetery. The casket bearers will be Geo. E. Conant, John Oaks, B. L Harms, Charles Smith and Carl Ellers and Fred Davenport.